Students, scholars, strategists and members of the press will analyze the results of the 2008 election at the New Politics Forum Presidential Election Debriefing to be held Nov. 14 and 15 at the Texas State Capitol.
The 2008 election was marked by important trends: a dramatic increase in youth participation, the emergence of online media and an electoral map that defied the red state/ blue state division of recent elections. The Campaign 2008 Presidential Election Debriefing will examine these trends and many more by giving 75 students from universities across Texas the opportunity to speak openly and candidly with individuals involved in the public process of selecting the president.
Panelists include Peter Levine of CIRCLE, Rick Sanchez of CNN and the League of First Time Voters, regional and state directors for the McCain and Obama campaigns, members of the Texas media, including Paul Burka and Wayne Slater, media strategists and academics. A complete list of presenters and an itinerary are available online.
“We’re thrilled to bring students face-to-face with such diverse and knowledgeable panelists,” said Emily Balanoff, New Politics Forum coordinator at the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Participation at The University of Texas at Austin. “The 2008 election cycle really struck new ground in the areas of youth political participation and online media. It’s important to assess what these trends mean for the future of our political process.”
The New Politics Forum shares political knowledge with young people on a non-partisan basis by bringing students into contact with political professionals, members of the working press and university researchers. This event is sponsored by the New Politics Forum, the College of Communication at The University of Texas at Austin and the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Participation. Attendance is free for members of the media. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Balanoff at emily.balanoff@austin.utexas.edu, 512-471-7214 or 512-413-7193 (mobile).
